1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a print processing apparatus and a print processing method. More particularly, the invention relates to a print processing apparatus comprising image processor for performing a predetermined image process to a print job sent from an information processing apparatus such as a host computer or the like and image reader for performing a reading process of image data and to a print processing method for such an apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
Hitherto, there has been known a print processing apparatus which performs a reading process of image data and is connected to an information processing apparatus such as a host computer or the like through a network and can print and output a print job sent from the information processing apparatus.
Hitherto, in such a kind of print processing apparatus, as shown in FIG. 6, a print job is sequentially transmitted from an information processing apparatus 101 to a print processing apparatus 102 in ascending order from the first page to the second page, third page, . . . , (nxe2x88x921)th page, and nth page.
Whether the image data is outputted in ascending order or descending order is discriminated by a print controller of the print processing apparatus 102. In case of outputting the image data in ascending order, as shown in FIG. 7A, the image data is sequentially outputted onto a paper tray 103 in receiving order from the first page. In case of outputting the image data in descending order, as shown in FIG. 7B, the image data is sequentially outputted onto the paper tray 103 in order opposite to the receiving order from the nth page.
In the print processing apparatus, in order to avoid a situation such that printing of the image data read by an image reader and the print output of the image data from the information processing apparatus 101 compete in a print processor, each of the image reader and the print processing apparatus issues an occupation command of the print controller when a printing process is executed and issues an occupation release command after completion of an outputting process.
However, in the above conventional print processing apparatus, in case of outputting the image data transferred from the information processing apparatus, although the image data is outputted as it is in receiving order when it is outputted in ascending order, it is necessary to output the image data in order opposite to the receiving order when it is outputted in descending order. Therefore, after the occupation command of the print controller was issued to the print controller, the outputting order of the image data is changed to the descending order and, thereafter, a print job described by a PDL (page description language) is rasterized to thereby form image data, and the image data is outputted from the print processor.
In the conventional image processing apparatus, therefore, there is a problem that in case of outputting the image data in descending order, an image job from the image reader cannot be executed for a time interval until the print job is received from the information processing apparatus 101 and the print is started.
Moreover, in the case where the print processing apparatus having the image reader is connected to the network and used, in many cases, a plurality of users share the print processing apparatus. There are, consequently, problems such that the image data cannot be read for a long time when a plurality of users continuously transfer the print jobs to the print processing apparatus, and a working ratio of the print processing apparatus also deteriorates.
The invention is made in consideration of the above problems and it is an object of the invention to provide a print processing apparatus and a print processing method, in which a printing process can be highly efficiently performed.
To accomplish the above object, according to the invention, there is provided a print processing apparatus comprising: an image reader for performing a reading process of image data; an image processor for receiving a print job which is sent from external equipment and generating image data on the basis of the print job; and an output processor for selectively performing an outputting process to the print job received by the image reader or the image data read by the image reader on the basis of an occupation command which is issued by the image processor or the image reader, wherein the print processing apparatus further comprises a delivery information obtainer for obtaining paper delivery information of a recording paper which is outputted from the output processor, a delivery order determiner for determining a delivery order of the print jobs on the basis of an obtaining result of the delivery information obtainer, and a command issuance time determiner for determining a command issuance time of the occupation command for the output processor on the basis of a determination by the delivery order determiner.
The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings.